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How your Capital Projects Sales Tax funds are being spent

By HALEY HUGHES

Feb 24 2013 12:01 am Feb 24 9:29 am

Pete Orlando takes his boat out on Langley Pond during a camp for elite rowers.

• $2 million for the construction of two new Emergency Medical Services stations, complete with new ambulances and related capital equipment (Aiken’s Southside and Highway 1/Monetta area) and to replace three mobile homes with permanent EMS stations (Silver Bluff High School, J.D. Lever School, and Oakwood-Windsor Elementary)

• $4 million to replace Sheriff’s Office vehicles, ambulances, and other vehicles and capital equipment in the County fleet

• $2.1 million for surfacing of County streets and roads

• $15.9 million for the paving of the following unpaved roadways:

Indian Waters Trail from SC-1903 to Stack Road C-634

Completed January 2009

Cost: $365,835

Stack Road from SC-39 to C-635

Completed June 2010

Cost: $81,035

Midway Circle from Whiskey Rd. to Whiskey Rd.

Completed May 2009

Cost: $262,048

Hubert St. from Baker St. to end of C-120

Completed June 2008

Cost: $81,369

Five Notch/Pisgah Rd. intersection improvements

In construction

Sudlow Ln. from Sudlow Lake Rd. to end of C-86

Completed December 2011

Cost: $222,190

Ballard Dr. from Bettis Academy to Mt. Zion Rd.

Deleted

Brooks Ave. from Spalding Dr. to Wilds Ave.

Completed June 2008

Cost: $248,383

Wilds Ave. from Brooks Ave. to Dougherty Rd.

Completed June 2008

Cost: $57,190

Rogers Rd. from Hwy. 1 North to end

Completed June 2008

Cost: $416,088

Shawscrest Dr. from Rogers Rd. to Hwy. 1 North

Completed June 2008

Cost: $90,062

Wagontong Rd. from Settlement Rd. to S-21

Deleted

Valley Dr. to Hankinson St.

Deleted

Tennis Ranch Rd. from Old Jackson Hwy. to end of C-203

Completed April 2009

Cost: $379,919

Curry Dr. from Celesta Ave. to end of Curry

Deleted

Leanne Dr. from Palmetto Farms to end of C-552

Completed June 2008

Cost: $152,308

River Rd. from S-14 to S-183

Completed November 2008

Cost: $247,031

Pine View Dr. from Dogwood Dr. to Sizemore

Completed June 2010

Cost: $199,189

Saddle Horse Rd. from Piney Heights Rd. to end of C-248

Completed November 2009

Cost: $203,655

Rebel Rd. from Good Springs Rd. to I-20

Completed November 2008

Cost: $133,167

Earl Church Rd. from S-264 to church

Completed November 2008

Cost: $361,949

Bluff Landing Rd. from SC-5 to end

Completed November 2010

Cost: $389,345

Pride Ave. from Sudlow Lake Rd. to end of C-97

Completed August 2009

Cost: $140,014

Springfield Church Rd. from Hwy. 19 North to Edgefield County line

Completed February 2009

Cost: $91,569

Joe Scott Rd. from S-183 to C-897

Deleted

Aspen Court from SC Hwy. 278 to end

Completed May 2012

Cost: $265,902

Toole Circle from end of pavement to end of dirt

Completed September 2009

Cost: $259,846

Wooduck Way from SC Hwy. 19 North to end

Completed February 2009

Cost: $495,089

Williams-Evans Rd. from S-212 to S-150

Acquiring right-of-way

Hunting Hills Dr. from S-302 for .61 miles

Completed June 2010

Cost: $207,439

Keys Dairy Rd. from Pine Log Rd. to end of C-1036

Completed May 2009

Cost: $128,870

Mallard Court from Hwy. 19 to end of C-35

Completed February 2009

Cost: $194,694

Rawls Mill Pond Rd. from Hwy. 21 to S-246

Deleted

Sunshine Circle from S-1973 to end

Completed October 2010

Cost: $224,009

Oakbrook Dr. S-1973 to end

Completed October 2010

Cost: $85,864

Mixon Rd. from Old Friar Rd. to end

Completed June 2010

Cost: $171,645

Kedron Church Rd. from end of state maintenance to Wire Rd.

Completed July 2010

Cost: $920,415

Broadway St. from Dry Branch Rd. to end

Completed May 2012

Cost: $80,684

Archie Ware Rd. from Mt. Calvary to one mile mark

Completed July 2012

Cost: $313,404

Bagwell Rd. from Blue Poppy Rd. to Nazarene Rd.

Completed July 2009

Cost: $191,522

Greenbrush Rd. from Hwy. 302 for .40 miles

Completed May 2012

Cost: $181,262

Oak Ridge Club Rd. from C-795 to C-576

Completed August 2012

Cost: $1,032,266

Wimpy Rd. from US-78 to S-113

Completed July 2012

Cost: $429,100

Holder Rd. SC-39 to dam

Completed December 2012

Hoover Rd. from Rocky Grove to Warner Rd.

Acquiring right-of-way

Otis Baughman Sr. Rd. from S-14 to S-1776

Notice to proceed with construction

Shadow Lane Rd. from SC-302 to SC-39

Acquiring right-of-way

Bodie Rd. from Camp Rawls Rd. to Flowing Wells

In design

• $2 million for permissible capital projects in conjunction with brownfield restoration in Horse Creek Valley:

Seminole Mill

Completed December 2010

Cost: $463,533

• $750,000 for connector roads Dougherty Rd. and for engineering and planning on the Whiskey Rd./Silver Bluff Rd. connector

In progress

• $2 million for public infrastructure improvements in connection with the Palmetto Parkway Phase II

Completed December 2009

Handled by SCDOT

• $600,000 for capital renovations, repairs, and construction of the Aiken County Historical Museum

• $1.5 million for additional capital development of Langley Pond Park

Completed December 2009

Cost: $1.5 million

• $1 million for greenway and open space land purchase and development

In progress

• $1.5 million for construction of a regional recreational park

In progress

• $643,500 for Athol drainage project

Acquiring right-of-way

• $70,200 for Vanderbilt/College Acres drainage project

Acquiring right-of-way

• $374,000 for Audubon drainage project

In construction

• $175,5000 for Woodwardia drainage project

Acquiring right-of-way

• $58,500 for Hunters Glen drainage project

Completed

• $177,900 for Hitchcock Woods drainage project

• $250,000 for Kalmia Hills drainage project

• $12 million for the construction of a new County Office Complex

In construction

• $500,000 for the construction of a publicly-owned Child Advocacy Center

• The next $2 million collected was to be distributed to the City of Aiken for further construction and capital improvements of a Northside recreational park

• $9.5 million for additional County roads to be paved:

Fire Tower Rd. from SC-78 to S-113

Completed September 2010

Cost: $1,266,136

Cassel St. extension from Jackson Rd. to S-1332

Deleted

Roundtree Rd. from Hwy. 125 to Hwy. 125

Acquiring right-of-way

Ella Quiller Rd. from Breezy Hill Rd. to Old Cherokee Rd.

Acquiring right-of-way

Old Kimball Trail from US-1 to Jordan Rd.

Deleted

Wilds Ave. from Spalding Dr. to Brooks Ave.

Completed June 2008

Cost: $57,190

Elon St. from Brooks Ave. to Wilds Ave.

Deleted

Editor’s note: This is the first in a four-part series on round two of Aiken County’s Capital Projects Sales Tax program. Round two of the program is drawing to a close, and local government administrators are transitioning into round three, which was approved by voters in 2010. Round two was approved by voters in 2004. Today, the Aiken Standard takes a look at the projects in Aiken County that were slated for sales tax funding.

Aiken County government officials have been quoted time and again that without funds generated by the one-cent Capital Projects Sales Tax, miles of roads would go unpaved and law enforcement and emergency medical equipment to provide efficient service could not be acquired and maintained.

Not without a tax increase, that is.

The one-cent tax, which applies to the gross proceeds of sales in Aiken County, excluding unprepared food if purchased with food stamps, generated an estimated $114.4 million dollars in round two. Tax revenue was split among the County, the cities of Aiken, North Augusta and New Ellenton, and the towns of Burnettown, Jackson, Monetta, Perry, Wagener, Salley and Windsor.

Aiken County received an estimated $50.5 million, which was slated for the purchase of new ambulances and police cars, recreational park development, road paving and resurfacing, among other things.

“We’ve hit everything on that list,” said Joe Berry, engineer for Aiken County. “With the roads, there is no way to raise enough money to do (pave or resurface) roads. (Capital Projects Sales Tax) is an outstanding program for getting work done. A lot of stuff has been accomplished.”

Capital Projects Sales Tax was first approved by voters in 2000. Round three, which will begin soon, is estimated to generate $145 million. Round three’s penny tax will not be collected on top of round two.

Revenue generated by the tax must fund a project that has a public function. It cannot be used to fund salaries or operations.

Notable Projects

• $12 million for the construction of a new County Office Complex

Design drawings by architects McMillan Pazdan Smith show the roughly 130,000-square-foot complex with a three-story front elevation facing University Parkway and a two-story rear elevation facing Lincoln Avenue. Lincoln Avenue borders the back of the property. The exterior schematics show a brick facade, a clock tower cupola, stately columns, a ground-level entrance and two curving stairways leading up to a second-floor entrance.

Status: In progress; projected completion date February 2014

Cost: Estimated total project cost $37.6 million; $12 million from Capital Projects Sales Tax II. The remainder will be paid with general obligation bonds

• $2 million for the construction of two new Emergency Medical Services stations, complete with new ambulances and related capital equipment (Aiken’s Southside and Highway 1/Monetta area) and to replace three mobile homes with permanent EMS stations (Silver Bluff High School, J.D. Lever School, and Oakwood-Windsor Elementary)

Substation 9 College Acres (Aiken’s Southside)

Status: Completed Jan. 1, 2009

Cost: $429,991

* Joint project between Aiken County and City of Aiken

Substation 10, to be located on three acres at the corner of Wire Road and Highway 39 (Monetta area)

Status: Bids open for construction

Cost: $14,300 purchase price for land. Roughly $400,000 has been allocated for the project

Brand new, 2,337-square foot library next to City Hall. The new library has more reading and meeting space, more computer stations and a self-checkout station at the circulation desk.

Status: Completed April 2012

Cost: Approximately $465,000

Nancy Bonnette Library (Wagener branch)

Renovations to the existing building and an addition of 1,449 square feet. The library now has a larger reading area, meeting space, more computer stations and a self-checkout station at the circulation desk.

• $1.5 million for additional capital development of Langley Pond Park

The County purchased the 285-acre pond and the shoreline strip, and the Aiken Land Conservancy (ALC) retains 64 acres of what has been termed the “upland” portion. The County is working on plans to develop active recreation capabilities on the shoreline, which could include a grandstand viewing area and additional parking designed to attract larger rowing and sculling races throughout the year. The ALC portion will be left forested for passive recreation.

Status: Completed in December 2009

Cost: $1.5 million

• $500,000 for the construction of a publicly-owned Child Advocacy Center

The center initially operated out of one room at the United Way of Aiken County offices. Then it was located in a small office downtown, according to its website. In August of 2008, it moved into a new building especially designed for it funded largely by Capital Projects Sales Tax II.

“The mission of the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County is to provide a safe environment and supportive services which promote healing to abused children and their families through intervention, treatment and prevention,” according to its website.

Status: Completed August 2008

Cost: $500,000

• $4 million to replace Sheriff’s Office vehicles, ambulances, and other vehicles and capital equipment in the County fleet

Status: Completed

Cost: $4 million

Enlarge Tthe brand new New Ellenton Branch Library, located next to City Hall, opened last year.

Tthe brand new New Ellenton Branch Library, located next to City Hall, opened last year.

Enlarge Three new ambulances, which will be added to the Aiken County Emergency Services fleet in the coming weeks, were on display. The ambulances were purchased with one cent sales tax funds at a total of roughly $350,000.

Three new ambulances, which will be added to the Aiken County Emergency Services fleet in the coming weeks, were on display. The ambulances were purchased with one cent sales tax funds at a total of roughly $350,000.

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